Soul Stealer [Paperback]

Martin Booth (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (2005)
• ASIN: B000OTP5CU
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Soul stealing, June 26, 2005

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Soul Stealer: The Alchemist's Son Part II (Hardcover)

Martin Booth's teenage alchemist returns in "Soul Stealer: The Alchemist's Son Part II," a somewhat shaky but somewhat stronger fantasy thriller. It's a more entertaining, creepy adventure, though the "alchemist's son" of the title is the book's biggest weakness.

Tim and Pip are about to start at their new school, which would seem normal if Sebastian had not given her an "evil detector" pendant. The two of them soon discover that not all is well at their school: One of the teachers, Yoland, is an evil magician who helped kill his father, and the local bully Guy Scrotton is an undead wodewose ("wild man").

So Pip and Guy take their riskiest step yet: Enrolling Sebastian in a modern high school. The three teenagers begin searching for Yoland's master plan, while trying to keep the savage Scrotton from ripping them to shreds. Then they learn that his plot may have something to do with their upcoming field trip... to a nuclear plant.

"Soul Stealer" has something of the same general plot as "Doctor Illuminatus" -- teen heroes, cameo by Satan, megalomaniacal sorcerers, beast-men, sheep with fangs, computer hacking, and some creepy medieval alchemy. It wouldn't take much more than that to make a really entertaining fantasy thriller.

And to some degree, the book is more engaging than its predecessor. It has a strong unifying plot, more descriptive prose and fewer brand names. Booth has obviously gotten a handle on his storytelling, now that he has introduced the main characters. What's more, he has some truly chilling villains, especially the savage wodewose Scrotton.

Sebastian the teenage alchemist is the biggest problem of the book. He comes across as rigid and humourless, useful mainly for historical background. Putting him in a typical school setting could have given the book some much-needed humour, and shown Sebastian in a more human light, but it never happens. Worse, Booth uses Sebastian to spout bits of historical minutiae that aren't really relevant.

The "alchemist's son" is a major weakness, but the "Soul Stealer" is a stronger second installment in Martin Booth's series. Flawed, but worth reading.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Read, January 23, 2007

By 

Laura Hays "bardic_chick" (Jefferson City, MO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Soul Stealer: The Alchemist's Son Part II (Hardcover)

Soul Stealer, the sequel to Alchemist's Son is a wonderful book. It brings that touch of fantasy in without going over the board and tipping it into a different world. The setting is in England and although you occassionally forget that, the author is very good at reminding you. I would rate it five stars but for one thing. These books were obviously supposed to be part of series, unfortunately the author died the year after publishing Soul Stealer. So while any good book leaves you wanting more, this one leaves you wanting just a bit too much more.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Soul stealing, September 2, 2006

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Soul Stealer: The Alchemist's Son Part II (Paperback)

Martin Booth's teenage alchemist returns in "Soul Stealer: The Alchemist's Son Part II," a somewhat shaky but somewhat stronger fantasy thriller. It's a more entertaining, creepy adventure, though the "alchemist's son" of the title is the book's biggest weakness.

Tim and Pip are about to start at their new school, which would seem normal if Sebastian had not given her an "evil detector" pendant. The two of them soon discover that not all is well at their school: One of the teachers, Yoland, is an evil magician who helped kill his father, and the local bully Guy Scrotton is an undead wodewose ("wild man").

So Pip and Guy take their riskiest step yet: Enrolling Sebastian in a modern high school. The three teenagers begin searching for Yoland's master plan, while trying to keep the savage Scrotton from ripping them to shreds. Then they learn that his plot may have something to do with their upcoming field trip... to a nuclear plant.

"Soul Stealer" has something of the same general plot as "Doctor Illuminatus" -- teen heroes, cameo by Satan himself, megalomaniacal sorcerers bent on ruling us all, beast-men, sheep with fangs, computer hacking, and some creepy medieval alchemy. It wouldn't take much more than that to make a really entertaining fantasy thriller.

And to some degree, the book is more engaging than its predecessor. It has a strong unifying plot, more descriptive prose and fewer brand names. Booth has obviously gotten a handle on his storytelling, now that he has introduced the main characters. What's more, he has some truly chilling villains, especially the savage wodewose Scrotton.

Sebastian the teenage alchemist is the biggest problem of the book. He comes across as rigid and humourless, useful mainly for historical background. Putting him in a typical school setting could have given the book some much-needed humour, and shown Sebastian in a more human light, but it never happens. Worse, Booth uses Sebastian to spout bits of historical minutiae that aren't really relevant.

The "alchemist's son" is a major weakness in the plot, but the "Soul Stealer" is a stronger second installment in Martin Booth's series. Flawed, but worth reading for those seeking something a little different.